Hillary Clinton may have had a hard time choosing her vice presidential candidate, deciding on whether to pick someone who appeals to the Left of the political spectrum or someone who swings slightly to the Right, in a deeply polarised political season.
Having moved herself to the Left during the tough primaries for the Democratic nomination against Senator Bernie Sanders, Ms. Clinton has declared Tim Kaine (58), a Senator from Virginia, as her running mate.
Welcome to the team, >@TimKaine . >pic.twitter.com/nEIqHCOGWx
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) >July 23, 2016
A practising Catholic who worked with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras in his youth but still a supporter of abortion rights and a supporter of free trade, Mr. Kaine was chosen over Senator Elizabeth Warren, whose views are far more to the Left. “I want someone who will be able to give me [his] best advice, look me in the eye, and tell me [he] disagrees with me when he does. But what matters most is a simple test that’s not so simple to meet: whether the person could step in at a moment’s notice and serve as President. I have no doubt that Tim can do the job,” Ms. Clinton said an e-mail to supporters.
Marginal impact
Mr. Kaine is widely respected and admired. “Trying to count the ways I hate @timkaine. Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend,” Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona tweeted.
Mr. Kaine is also an active member of the Senate India Caucus and has visited India several times.
Studies over the years indicate that V-P candidates make only marginal impact on the contest, but Mr. Kaine’s selection is clearly Ms. Clinton’s attempt to assuage the conventional middle of the U.S. politics.
A former Mayor of Richmond, a Virginia city, a former Governor of Virginia and serving on the Armed Services, Budget, Foreign Relations and Aging committees of the Senate, Mr. Kaine is as seasoned as it gets in U.S. politics.
A fluent Spanish speaker, he could relate easily with the Latino population that is agitated over Republican candidate Donald Trump’s campaign that continues to target immigrants.
His selection may not please the more progressive sections within the Democratic party and Mr. Trump is already out to capitalise on the tensions. “The Bernie Sanders supporters are furious with the choice of Tim Kaine, who represents the opposite of what Bernie stands for,” Mr. Trump tweeted.
